Dallas Stars at Buffalo Sabres: game preview
DallasStars2026-27: 1-2-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 50-20-12 · 112 pts · 3rdat
BuffaloSabres2026-27: 2-1-0 · 4 pts · 2025-26: 50-23-9 · 109 pts · 4thThree points apart last season
Dallas finished last season 3rd in the league on 112 points. Buffalo finished 4th on 109, and the 2025-26 season series went DAL 1-1-0.
Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.
Meeting number 55
Across 54 completed games, Dallas lead the head-to-head 32-18-4.
Last 5 meetings
See all: Last 5 meetings →The table on each 2025-26 meeting night
League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 31 Dec 2025, Dallas were 2nd in the league and Buffalo 11th. By 15 Apr 2026 it was 3rd and 4th.
Dallas out-attempted Buffalo 293 to 274
Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.
Dallas Stars
Buffalo Sabres
Dallas and Buffalo are level on chances, last 10 games
Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.
This season: 3 games for Dallas, 3 for Buffalo. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.
Last 10 games: 10 games for Dallas, 10 for Buffalo.
2025-26: 82 games for Dallas, 82 for Buffalo.
Power play and penalty kill, season and series
This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.
All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings
Dallas
Small sampleBuffalo
Small sampleOwen Power has 7 points in the last 5 meetings
Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away, then who has produced in the last meetings.
Owen Power vs Dallas · game by game
See all: Owen Power vs Dallas · game by game →Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been the difference
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen faced 115 shots across 4 appearances against Dallas and conceded 9, a .922 save percentage against a season figure of .784. Starters are confirmed on game day.
- Started 2 of 3 this season
- 53 of the team's last 82 starts
2026-27: 2 GP · .943 SV% · GSAx +2
Also possible: DeSmith 45%
- Started 2 of 3 this season
- 36 of the team's last 82 starts
2026-27: 2 GP · .784 SV% · GSAx −4
Also possible: Ellis 34%
Injured: Lyon (injured reserve)
Jake Oettinger
See all: Jake Oettinger →DAL · 1-1-0 in 2026-27 Expected starter · 55%
Also on the roster, 2026-27: Casey DeSmith .923 (1 GP)
Full game logUkko-Pekka Luukkonen
See all: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen →BUF · 1-1-0 in 2026-27 Expected starter · 66%
Also on the roster, 2026-27: Colten Ellis .900 (1 GP)
Full game logScoring rates point to about 6.2 goals
No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.
Goals in the last 5 meetings
Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.
Scoring rates
Dallas2.002.003.402.76
Buffalo3.333.673.512.94Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.
The total sits at 6.5: 45% on the over
Total goals, the spread and each team's total as the venues price them, next to a rate from both teams' scoring. A line shows when at least two venues price it.
Kalshi
Polymarket
ProphetXSnapshot 7 Oct, 12:42 PM ET. Each price is for the line as written: the other side (under, +1.5) costs about 100 minus it. "From stats" is a Poisson rate from each team's goals for and against per game (this season, leaning on 2025-26 for the first 20 games); it knows nothing about overtime, empty nets or tonight's lineups. "Best" is the cheapest price to buy Yes after venue fees. Prices are snapshots taken every 15 minutes (season futures hourly), not live. Prediction markets carry risk of loss and are not available in every jurisdiction. 18+/21+ where applicable. How markets work · Affiliate disclosure
10 on the injury lists
Dallas · injuries
Buffalo · injuries
Latest moves
See all: Latest moves →Assigned D Cameron Bertucci to Texas (AHL).
Placed F Matt Duchene on long-term injured reserve retroactive to Sept. 29. Recalled Fs Arttu Hyry and Colin Blackwell from Texas (AHL).
Signed G Casey DeSmith to a two-year contract.
Loaned D Dennis Gilbert to Rochester (AHL).
Recalled D Dennis Gilbert from Rochester (AHL). Placed G Alex Lyon and D Olen Zellweger on injured reserve. Signed D Louis Crevier to a four-year contract. Transferred F Matthew Savoie to long-term injured reserve.
Signed C Noah Östlund to an eight-year contract.
Dallas · 2026 draft
See all: Dallas · 2026 draft →Buffalo · 2026 draft
See all: Buffalo · 2026 draft →
Updated after every final